Toy pistol



June 16, 1925.

R. E. REARDON TOY PISTOL Fil ed Oct. 29. 924

Ira/ ambian Robe'ri' 1 7 Rear/Jon,

Patented June 16, 1925.

ROBERT EDWm REARDON, OF ELKTON, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO VICTORY SPARKLER SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF ELKTON, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TOY PISTOL.

Application filed October 29, 1924. Serial No. 746,571.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. Brannon,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, and

resident of Elkton, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Pistols, of which the following is a specification.

In carrying out the inventlon I employ a star wheel with a spring for rotating the same, and a trigger for controlling the operation of the star wheel, so that single firing of the paper caps carried by a strip can be effected, or automatic or continuous firing can be done by holding the trigger under pressure of the finger.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of arts hereinafter described and particular y pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying draw1ngs Figure 1 is a central vertlcallongltudinal section of a toy pistol embodying my mvention. 3

Fig. 2 is aside view. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a section looking from the rear. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-' 5 of Fig. 1. In these drawings the main body or frame of the pistol is indicated at 1, this having a rearward extension 2 providing a chamber 3 in which the roll of ca carrying 'strip indicated at a. is contained. This chamber is formed by the rear wall 4 and an interior wall 5. The cap strip emerges from this chamber over the rounded upper end 6 of the wall 5, and I provide a friction device for regulating the assage of the cap strip or tape consisting o a leaf spring 7 adapted to press the cap strip upon the rounded bearing 6. On leaving the rounded bearing the cap strip passes through a feedway or guide consisting of a thin strip of metal 8 bent downwardly at its rear end and secured at 9 to the rear wall of the main frame, the said strip thence extending horizontally and substantially parallel with the upper wall of the istol frame. This strip has a downward spring tendency and it has formed integral therewith guide portions 10 which lie parallel with the main portlon of the str1p and beneath the same. They provide a laterally open channel or feedway for the strip whereby it is directed to the muzzle of the pistol and beneath the anvil 11. The guiding device rests upon a pin 12 at its free end. The cap strip is directed along this feedway with the caps facing downwardly, and within the range of the points 13 of the star wheel, which is rotatable about the center 14 under pressure of a coil spring 15, one end of which is attached to the barrel center portion 16 of the star wheel and the other end to a spindle at the center 14, said spindle having a key or finger piece on its outer end by which the spring may be wound and thus apply its force to the star wheel to rotate it. The points 13 of the star wheel as they move in the arrow direction will scra e along the under side of the cap tape and y engaging the caps will feed the tape across the endface of the anvil step by step, and thus locate the ca s in osition to be struck bythe hammer 1 WhlCh is pivoted at 18 and is normally retracted by a spring 19 coiled about a pin 20 pivotally connected at 21 to a portion of the hammer and guided through an car 22 forming an extension of the part 10 of the tape guide or feedway.

The scraping actlon of the points of the star wheel 'alon the tape takes place under the resilient action of the feedway or guide, which, as before stated, has a downward spring tendency.

The star wheel is controlled by a combined trigger and detent device, consisting of a member pivoted at 23 and having a downwardly projecting portion 24 to be borne upon by the finger of the user, substantially like an ordinary trigger, and having also an arm 25 which is normally in the circum' ferential path of movement of the points 13, so that when one of these points is engaged by the detent arm 25 the star wheel will be held stationary, and its next succeeding point or arm will be in a position to scrape along the under side of the spring pressed tape and engage one of the caps to feed the tape forward to the anvil.

For firing the pistol the trigger portion 24 is pressed rearwardly by the finger of the user, which will cause the detent arm 25 to move forwardly and release the point or arm of the star wheel, so that this will immediately rotate under its spring power, and thus the cap tape will be fed to position a cap beneath the anvil, and this having been done, the released point or arm of the star wheel as it continues to rotate will strike the extension 26 of the hammer and throw the head of the hammer 17 violently towards the anvil to strike upon and explode the cap which has been fed into position as above described.

If the trigger is immediately relieved of pressure of the finger, a spring 27 will return it to its normal position, so that its detent arm will then lie in the ath of the next arm or point of the star w eel, so that the star wheel will be arrested in proper position foranother action. I The return of the trigger member to normal position will'also act upon the hammer, for which purpose the trigger is provided with an arm 28 to bear upon a portion of the hammer and retract it to its normal position. This action will be aided also by the spring 19.

The spring 27 which returns the trigger to its normal position is in the form of a leaf or strip held by a pin 29, and having an extension 30 hearing against a pin 31 to osition it. The extension 30 of this spring lies in the path of circumferential movement of the points of the star wheel, so that it will exert a braking effect on the latter when the points contact therewith. It will yield, however, sufficiently to allow the point of the star wheel to pass by it, so that the star wheel may assume normal position with its next succeeding point bearing on the detent arm 25 of the trigger.

If it is desired to secure a continuous firing, it is only necessary to hold the trigger under pressure and keep the detent arm 25 removed from the path of the points of the star wheel, whereupon the star wheel will rotate continuously and give repeated ste by step movements to the cap tape and position the' caps beneath the anvil, and each time that a oint of the star wheel strikes the tail portion 26 of the hammer, this will be thrown forwardly to explode a cap, and after-the star wheel passes the tail extension 26 the spring 19, together with gravity, will return the hammer to its normal position.

For gaining access to the interior of the pistol for loading it, I provide 'a pivotal mounting for a portion forming the upper wall of the frame and a portion of the rear side wall. These wall portions are indicated at 32, 33, the latter being pivotally mounted at 34 to the main frame or casing. There is also a portion 35 formin a part of the upper sidewall of the casing, and all of these wall portions 32, 33 and 35 are cast in one piece and move as one body around the pivot 34. It will thus be seen that by throwing this member rearwardly the cap feedway or guide, to ther with the chamber3', will be exposed aterally for the insertion of the new roll of cap tape into the chamber, and for the location-of the first portion of the gun. This of the strip in the guide or feedway above the portions 10 and below the main portion of the feedway, those portions 10 providing a laterally open guide-way for the ready insertion of the cap strip.

.By swinging the closing member forwardly and downwardly it is made to interlock with a projection 36 forming the foresight projection may be slightly undercut so as to receive the edge of the top wall portion 32, there being enough lateral playor spring of this closing member to allow the connection to be made.

I claim:

1. In a toy pistol the combination of a star wheel, a holder for a ca strip, said star wheel being arranged to Feed the said cap strip, a spring for rotating the star wheel, means or winding the spring and 21V trigger for controlling the star wheel, substantially as described.

2. In a toypistol the combination of a star wheel, a holder for a cap strip, said star wheel being arranged to feed the said cap strip, a s ring forirotating the star wheel, means or winding the spring and a trigger for controlling the star wheel, said trigger exertingits control both for single firing and continuous firing, substantially as described.

3. In a toy pistol the combination of a starv wheel, a holder for a cap strip, aspring for rotating the star wheel, means for winding the spring and a trigger for controlling the star wheel, the points of the starv wheel serving as the cap strip feeding means and also as means to cooperate with the trigger, substantially as described. 4. In combination in a toy pistol, a star wheel for feeding the cap strip, a spring for rotating the star wheel, means for winding the spring, a tri er for controlling the star wheel and a hammer for striking the caps operated by the star wheel, substantially as described.

5. In combination a, star wheel for feeding a cap strip, a spring for rotating the star wheel, a normall raised hammer 0 erated by the star wheel for striking t e caps and a trigger controlling the operation of the star wheel, substantially as described.

6. In combination in a toy pistol, a star wheel for feeding the cap strip, a spring for operating the star wheel and a trigger acting both as a detent and as a release for the star wheel, substantially as described.

7. In combination in a toy pistol, a spring actuated star wheel, a trigger operated stop for saidwheel, a device for retarding or braking the movement of said wheel, a cap strip feed-way intersecting the path of movement of the star wheel, an anvil and a hammer normally raised and operated to strike the caps by the action of the star wheel points thereon, substantially as described.

8. In combination in a toy pistol, a rotary star wheel, a spring for rotating the same, an anvil, a hammer, a spring for operating the hammer to return it to normal position, said hammer having a portion to be acted upon by the star wheel for causing it to strike the caps and a trigger controlling the star wheel, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a toy pistol, a spring actuated star wheel, a resilient guide-way for a cap strip, said star wheel having its points adapted to scrape along the cap strip held by the guide-way, and a hammer and trigger mechanism, substantially as described.

10. In combination in a toy pistol, a star wheel, a trigger for controlling the operation of the same, a hammer operated by the'star wheel to cause it to strike the caps,

a spring for returning the hammer to normal position when the trigger is held pressed for continuous firing, and means connected with. the trigger for returning the hammer to normal position at each release of the trigger from pressure, substantially as described.

11. In combination in a toy pistol, a hammer and a trigger member for returning the hammer to normal position and means for throwing the hammer forward from its normal position when the trigger is pressed, substantially as described.

12. In combination in a toy pistol, a trigger member, a hammer which is restored to normal position by the trigger member, means for operating the hammer when the trigger is pressed, said trigger having a portion to act as a detent for said means, substantially as described.

13. In combination in a toy pistol, a guide-way within the same, laterally open for receiving a cap tape and having a laterally open chamber for receiving the roll of cap tape, and means for opening and closing the said guide-way and chamber consisting of a side plate overlying the laterally open guide-way, and having a por tion overlying the laterally open chamber, the said closing member having edges to engage edges of the main frame, a foresight, said closing member being adapted to engage and interlock with said foresight, substantially as described.

14. In combination in a toy pistol, a main frame, a chamber and guide-way for a cap strip, a closure member consisting of a side wall and a top wall, a pivotal mounting for the side wall and means to interlock with the top wall for holding the closure in place, substantially as descrlbed.

15. In a toy pistol using cap strips, a rotary cap advancing member having an operating spring contained therein.

16. In a toy pistol using cap strips, a rotary cap advancing member having an operating spring contained therein and con centric therewith.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ROBERT EDWIN REARDON. 

